On 7/9/1977, singer/songwriter Declan MacManus quit his day job as a computer operator at the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics factory in Acton, England. Later in the month, on 7/22/1977, the fledgling Stiff Records released MacManus's first album, My Aim Is True, under his new name, Elvis Costello. Four days after that, on 7/26/1977, MacManus/Costello was arrested for performing illegally outside the London Hilton, where a CBS Records sales conference had convened. For his crime, Costello was fined five pounds; but his publicity stunt paid off, and he was signed to CBS soon thereafter…. On 7/22/1979, Reverend Richard Penniman — better known as Little Richard — preached against the evils of rock 'n' roll at a revival meeting in north Richmond, California. Sayeth the Reverend: “If God can save an old homosexual like me, he can save anybody.” Evil must have been too much fun to resist, however, for by the mid '80s Little Richard had reverted to his flamboyant ways, singing the devil's music and appearing in films and on TV, usually as a transparently disguised version of himself…. The backlash against disco reached its apex on 7/12/1979, as untold numbers of disco records were blown up on the field between games of a Chicago White Sox doubleheader. The occasion was Disco Demolition Night, a promotional stunt orchestrated by a local radio shock jock. A riot ensued, and the Sox were forced to cancel and forfeit the second game…. Two weeks later, on 7/27/1979, an art gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, owned by rocker Alice Cooper was firebombed. Destroyed were many thousands of dollars' worth of Native American art, as well as several of Cooper's gold records. The avowedly antidisco Cooper suggested that perhaps the bombing was perpetrated by a vengeful disco fan.

Needing a drummer for upcoming gigs in Hamburg, West Germany, the Beatles auditioned Pete Best on 8/15/1960. He was hired on the spot. The next day they left for Hamburg…. On 8/16/1962, the Beatles replaced Best with Ringo Starr, whom they had met in Hamburg two years earlier…. On 8/11/1969 Motown recording artist Diana Ross invited 350 guests to a Beverly Hills nightclub to hear the label's newest signing, The Jackson 5. Legend has it that the band was “discovered” by Ross, but it was actually Gladys Knight who first called label-owner Berry Gordy's attention to the group…. Sixteen years later, on 8/14/1985, the Jacksons' most successful member, Michael, laid down $47.5 million for the rights to the ATV music catalog, which included more than 250 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.… On 8/6/1970, the 25^th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, an antiwar rock festival was held at New York's Shea Stadium. An estimated 20,000 people paid less than $10 each to hear 12 hours of music by artists such as Paul Simon, Steppenwolf, Johnny Winter, and Janis Joplin.… On 8/8/1970, a marker was finally placed on the grave of legendary blues singer Bessie Smith, 33 years after her death. The stone was paid for by Joplin, who frequently cited Smith as an influence on her music.